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Postpartum Depression — A Treatable Disorder
Every year in the United States 6.4 million babies are born and put into the arms of proud and excited new mothers. These women have experienced nine or ten long months of pregnancy with all its physical and emotional challenges and have finally received the reward for all their suffering. Soon they are taking home their little bundle and daydream about their child growing up, going to school, and attending prom.
However, for 950,000 women per year, a sinister condition can creep in and steal their joy. Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can cause problems for a new mother after childbirth. As the hormone levels of estrogen and progesterone drop, the mother’s body struggles to adjust, and these changes affect her brain and can trigger some nasty symptoms.
New mothers who develop postpartum depression experience feelings of extreme sadness, anxiety and a lack of interest in their child. There are many other signs that someone may be living in the abyss of this type of depression, these include:
· Feelings of sadness, hopelessness, emptiness or of being overwhelmed
· Crying often, and for no apparent reason
· Worrying excessively
· Anxiety
